Keyhole-guard.



R J. GOPELAND. KEYHOLE GUARD.

LPPLIOATION FILED MAY 23, 1808.

Patented June 8,1909.

2 SHEETS-833133. 1.

lNl/ENTOR'. R.\J; COPELAND W/TNESSES. I 7.0 1;

UNITED STATES FATENT OFFFI OEE.

ROBERT JAMES COPELAND, OF TOROEI O, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT EDWY CHATTERSON, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

KEYHOLE-GUARD.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J AMES Corn- LAND, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keyhole-Guards, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in key hole guards, and the object of the invention is to devise a guard of this class especially adapted to guarding the lock of a loose leaf binder, so that the lock cannot be tampered with by the insertion of the key, and the consequent unlocking of the binder by unauthorized persons.

The invention, of course, can be applied to various locks for filing cabinets, drawers etc.

My invention consists of a suitable base plate and cover plate having a key hole in each registering one with the other, a slidable interior closing plate for the key hole, slidable combination plates provided with rows of perforations in step-like form normally preferably located opposite each other, and slots in each registering one with the other, a clip extending through the slot to hold the plates in place and allow of a definite movement, said plates having notches, a spring-pressed pawl designed to abut the key hole closing plate and enter into the recess when the combination is set, so that the notches register with each other to release the key hole plate in order that the key hole may be uncovered, the parts being constructed and arranged as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improved guard. Fig. 2, is a similar view to Fig. 1 with the cover plate mostly broken away and in section exhibiting the combination plates in their normal position and the closing plate of the key hole set to cover the key hole. Fig. 3, is a similar view to Fig. 2 showing the combination set and the closing plate for the key hole free to be moved. Fig. 4, is a similar view showing the closing plate of the key hole moved to unclose the key hole. Fig 5, is a sectional plan. Fig 6, is a longitudinal section on the line mg Fig. 5. Fig. 7, is a longitudinal section on the line w-g Fig. 5. Fig. 8, is a cross section. Fig 9, is a detail of the key.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is the base plate. B the cover plate, which is provided with the sides B suitably secured to the base plate A.

C is a slotin the cover plate B provided with the index points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 as indicated.

D is the outer key hole and E is the inner key hole. The outer key hole is longer than the inner key hole in order to permit of the movement of the closing plate F of the key hole as will hereinafter appear.

G is the bottom plate of the combination plates which is provided with a series of ten holes H.

G is the combination plate above the plate G and provided with a notch G and a series of ten holes H normally located opposite the holes H. The notch G is cut away in order to show the holes H.

G is the uppermost combination 'plate, which is provided with a notch G to show the holes H in the plate G. The plate G is provided with a series of ten holes H located opposite the holes H and H.

The three sets of holes are in a position opposite each other when the combination is in the normal position.

The plates G G and Gr are provided with slots G G and G (see particularly Fig. 6) through which extends the limiting post and slip I, such post being screwed into the base plate A., The combination plates G G and G are provided with notches G8 G and G10 (see particularly Fig. 7), which when the combination plates are in their normal position are not located opposite each other as will appear on reference to Fig. 7.

J is a pawl the head of which normally, abuts the plate F. The pawl J is held in position by the spring J pressing against its tail.

K is the key having the ordinary web K and a pointed end K which is designed to be inserted in one of each series of holes H H H in order to set the combination. In the present instance in reference to Figs. 3 and 4 it will be noticed that the pointed end K of the key K has been utilized to bring the fifth hole of the series of holes H of the plate G opposite the end edge of the slot C shown in dotted lines in this figure and the third hole of the series of holes H of the plate Gr opposite the edge of the slot C and the second hole of the series of holes H in the plate G opposite the end edge of the slot C and the notches G G and G all registering with each other as indicated. The combination it will now be seen is 2 3 5.

The head of the pawl J extends into the notches G G and G thereby throwing the head of the pawl inwardly, so that the plate F is left free to move. The plate F is provided with a hole F and by inserting the pointed end K of the key In into the hole F the plate F may be thrown into the posi tion shown particularly in Fig. 4, so as to uncover the key hole E, which is the key hole of the lock of the file or cabinet or other device in which my seal. is used. The key may then be inserted into the lock, which is not, of course, shown in the drawings as it. is not necessary for the purpose of this invern tion, and the lock operated by the key.

It will, of course, be understood that the combinations may be varied as may be desired, the notches G G and G being of course cut in the proper relative position to the desired holes, which are to form the combination to set the notches opposite each other.

It will be noticed that the key slot D is made of a greater length than the length of key slot E in order that the plate F may be removed away entirely from opposite the ordinary key hole.

From this description it will be seen that I have provided a guard for a lock adaptable for various purposes, which may be readily manipulated once the combination is known and yet which will etl'ectually close the key hole of the lock to all unauthorized persons.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a guard for locks, the combination with a base plate having a key hole and a cover plate having a key hole registering with the key hole in the base plate and a slot, of the combination plates arranged one above the other and having each a series of perforations, a closing plate for the key hole and means for securely holding the closing plate over the key hole and for releasing the same by a determinate movement of the combination plates as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a guard for locks, the combination with the base plate having a key hole and a cover plate having a key hole registering with the key hole in the base plate and a slot, of the combination plates arranged one above the other and having each a series of perforations, a closing plate for the key h ole, means for securely holding the closing plate over the key hole and for releasing the same by a determinate movement of the combination plates and means tor sliding the closing plate to open the key hole and to restore the closing plate to the normal position to close the key hole as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a guard for locks, the combination with the base plate having a key hole and a cover plate having a key hole registering with the key hole in the base plate and a slot, of the combination plates having each a series of perforations, a. closing plate for the key hole, means for securely holding the closing plate over the key hole and for releasing the same by a determiiuite movement of the combination plates, the key hole in the cover plate being clomrated at one end and the closing plate for the key hole being provided with a hole, whereby it may be manipulated as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a guard for locks, the combination with the base plate having a key hole and a cover plate having a key hole registering with the key hole in the base plate and a slot, of the combination plates having each a series of perforations to form combinations and notches designed to be brought to register with each other, the closing plate tor the key hole, and a spring pressed pawl designed to normally engage with the closing plate of the key hole and. arranged to release the closing plate of the key hole by dropping into the notches in the combination plates when caused to register with each other by the combination being set as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a guard for locks, the combination with the base plate having a key hole and a cover plate having a key hole registering with the key hole in the base plate and a slot, oi"- the combination plates normally set one above the other and provided with elongated notches arranged step-like, and a series of holes in each plate opposite the notches, the supplemental notches G, (:i and G the closing plate for the key hole, the spring-pressed pawl normally held against the end of the closing plate and the edges of the combination plates, the closing plate be ing designed when certain holes in each combination plate are brought opposite each other to produce the combination to be released by the head oi the pawl dropping in the registering notches in the combination plate as and for the pin-pose specified.

ROBERT JAMES COPELAND.

Vitnesses 13. Born, R. CADAlN. 

